How Def Jam Lost Control of Hip Hop 

Basically, they're saying there will never be another Def Jam fighting game.

I remember back when if a artist was on Def Jam, they made it. It's like they were the cream of the crop of a artist was on Def Jam.

Fun Fact : Warren G Saved Defjam from going Bankrupt and Shut Down in 94/95 when his Album Went 4xPlatinum !!

Every label has been struggling since 2000. Def Jam is no exception.

I will make it simple, this current Def Jam isn't the house that Rick and Russell built. It's a Def Jam in name only.

Social media, copy cat talent, a flood of uninspired acts is killing hip hop all together.

Bottom line, going independent is the new and smart thing now. Getting a Major deal is a thing of the past.

I like the look at past music empires. The rise and fall of hip hop greats is something to learn from. Great vid

Def Jam are the Knicks of Hip Hop

Def Jam the Motown of hiphop

Hiphop is not dead yall just have to dig for it these days

Dope Vid 🙏🏼

Def Jam and mainstream needs a rejuvenating serious because this decade sucked when it came to music and originality.

LL Cool J stayed with Def Jam until 2008 with his album Exit 13 released in that same year.

You should do the topic about Jive Records because back in the mid/late 90s and early 00s, that label ditched Hip-Hop for non-Hip Hop, Teen-Pop acts like Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys.

Social media killed record labels in a very good way... Now the artist can start getting what their talents really worth💯FACTS

I grew up and also, born and raised with the music of Def Jam with the likes of LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Oran "Juice" Jones, Alyson Williams, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, EPMD, Redman, Onyx, Domino, Warren G, Flatlinerz, South Central Cartel, Nice & Smooth, B.G. Knockout & Dresta and Method Man as a solo artist outside of the Wu-Tang Clan empire. I remember the short-lived Def Jam acts like Boss, Downtown Science, Nikki D and The Fam-Lee by heart. I come from the Russell Simmons & Rick Rubin era. Nowadays, Def Jam ain't the same since 2008-09. I don't have no words to say about that label in the future because of lacking. By the way, Run-DMC wasn't signed to Def Jam, they were signed to Profile Records. When Run-DMC put out their 2nd movie Tougher Than Leather in 1988, Russell tried to get the guys out of their contract with Profile post-Krush Groove. That movie was the WORSE movie Run-DMC put out. Beastie Boys and Slick Rick were the guest appearances for TTL, but the Beastie Boys already left Def Jam after a bitter fallout with Russell or Rick. As for Russell Simmons, he's changed. So, I have nothing to say about Def Jam's recent future.

LaFace, Rap-A-Lot, No Limit, J Prince, P, Atlanta, New Orleans & Houston is the reason for Def Jam's "fall from grace".

Don't forget about DefJam West BOSS recorded under that label

I love the way you narrate and layout your slides to make real topics about HIP HOP... keep it up

I've never seen or heard of any of those new rappers at the end.

All major record labels fell but it does not matter because they all were able to twist the artist and control every step of which direction the music went. Enslaved the audience with what they wanted to be popular, from who was signed to who sat on the shelf and don't forget control of early radio playlists.

They don’t give their artists enough promotion.

The rap business has always been shady. But it did keep a balance in this rap shit. Not just anyone could do it.

The music of some old tracks still can't be beaten by new music till now..

Def jam went pop rap bout the time of the nutty professor soundtrack

rhianna , ne-yo, jeezy, rick ross I'd say Jay done a good job. Look at the careers they've had in comparison to most artists

Rick Robin looking like Bro Thor from Endgame 😂😂😂😂😂

Your style of journalism and breadth of coverage is amazing. Whoever wrote this piece, you’re one hell of a journalist.

What people don't realise is that each CEO is appointed with a specific mandate. Whether that be cutting costs across the board or expansion. I think the board members probably want the label off the books. It will go the same way as Rawkus music eventually. They will regress to almost indie/nostalgia status then disappear. They just don't have the world level artist at the moment

It’s all well and good saying “they should do this, they should do that” but doing it is a different story.

Young Rick Rubin looks like Post Malone

Always great/accurate information and the background beat hits hard and gets a viewer like me in the mood

Love the way you report, so flawless, keep up the good job Love to all who reads this 💞💞💞

The rise of NWA changed everything. Def Jam went from leaders to followers really quickly. But overall their historical importance cant be denied. It's like the legacy of Sun Records in the mid 1950s putting out Elvis for the first time.

DefJam still has big artists signed to the label 2chains ,YG, kanye west, Dave East , Big Sean,

You forgot to mention MethodMan grammy winner.

This is a video I would expect trap lore russ to cover 😪

"I step to Def Jam building like Im tha shit:told them give my 50 Mil or ima quit."

Man I miss those days of buying a DMX Cd and looking at the cd cover art and all of the Def Jam clothing, and music promotion. Fun times

used to be a label you'd buy everything on and it was good

I knew Def Jam was over when they hired Jay-Z to run the company....no diss to Jay but i felt like theres was more suitable candidates MCs should of gotten that opportunity. Erick Sermon , LL Cool J or Prince Markie Dee from the Fat Boys would be a great candidate to run Def Jam.......it should be an old schooler.....

When rappers tried be business men and ain't know the game they thought they was playing and look what you have now..,...............

Why y’all don’t ever talk about onyx?

Rick Rubin is a legend

Jeezy was the top for a long time

i just want to say your scripts/essays are so good

Def Jam needs to sign more Latino artist. There are a lot of dope new Latino Artist out right now. Vel 9 the wonder, Snow the Product, Gavlyn, Reverie, King Lil G, Dice Soho, GT Garza, Krystal Poppin, Ese Shawty, Anna MVZE, Carley Coy, Davina, etc. If you put these south and west coast artist with Def Jam artist from the East Coast and veteran Def Jam artist you could make some dope ass music.

Def Jam/Columbia showcased its own artists on the soundtrack to the 1991 movie "Livin' Large!", which featured Slick Rick, The Don, Nice & Smooth, Nikki D., Alyson Williams, Newkirk, Terminator X, The Fam-Lee and non-Def Jam artist The Jungle Brothers.

When Jay became president, he was influential to all the new artists coming in the game around 2005. But the flagship artists on Def Jam didn't trust Jay at Def Jam. They saw how foul Jay did his crew at Rocafella so people weren't excited about having as an exec in the building. The tension was so bad even LA Ried sorta distance himself from Jay at Def Jam. At the end of the day, it's all business I guess.

Amazing video. Thank you for posting

Def Jam is suffering like most other music companies that it's just not as profitable like before and it's like musical chairs who will eat. It's slim pickings to make money in music nowadays. Def Jam should be big enough to diversify and find other revenue streams. Record labels will not make that type of money like in the past. Pirating starting in the late 90s was the first blow then social media and video platforms made it a level playing field for independent artists.

It’s sad I grew up on def jam from Krush grove days .. The company been done .. in my honest opinion LL COOL J / should have been president or involved (even though they gave him the opportunity & he refused ) DEF JAM got rid of the ESSENCE !!!

Ice Cube said - Thank God for Russel Simmons - word !! if you not old enough to know Def Jam was the shit - Run D MC saved hip hop and took it to the next level - LL Cool J took us off the porch - EPMD put us in the street - Slick Rick - Beastie Boys - T La Rock had us at the house party - then came Public Enemy - only people who know and understand what Mo Town meant to the 1960's generation can understand - Def Jam made us teenage hip hoppers feel like there was hope - a future - i can't say enough - all those 1980-1990 MC's that came out no matter who they was signed to - would never be without Def Jam

This was a good video I honestly believe that most major labels don't have the leverage that they used to. Attracting artists used to be easy because record labels were gate keepers and had the resources that artists needed to become popular. That's no longer true. Social media and direct streaming platforms can help artists cut out the middle man and control their own sound while staying directly engaged with their fans. Record labels used to stay rich as long as great artists kept dropping hit album's and singles. Now, most artists don't have the talent to release consistent quality work. The old days are over. Independent labels and one hit wonders are the wave now.

Not sure if it's already been done, but we need a Rocafella & Dame Dash video now. Updated with Dame and Jay's current financial states.

I just googled this subject a few days ago...happy this is here now

I feel as though being independent is more popular now than getting signed to a major label

What was briefly mentioned was Russell Simmons departure from Def Jam which in my opinion is when the label started to decline. Russell's combined poster boy image and being in the trenches of hip hop culture is what made Def Jam sale. Remember Phat farm, Baby Phat, Sean Jean(I know I know not part of phat farm) that energy made Def Jam the place to be. All the records was not good but the synergy of culture fashion a deep roster made them a premiere label. Once Russell left it changed, they had to sell phat farm and baby phat and the Lyor took over and Rick left. BTW what did Rick do with Linkin Park I know something's have too change but in hind sight the dismantling of DEF JAM and reconstruction was not a good move.

I want a Defjam vendetta theme park

Channel Orange came out in 2012 but sensational video brother

Call me an old hater I be dat but I don't listen to new rap

Def Jam is the Motown of Hip Hop. The same exact thing is a happening. Glorious history but just not able to keep with the times.

Even out here on the west coast, back in the day, Def Jam, was the shit! Hit after hit, always got radio play.

Great piece! Now do one on how native born black Americans lost control of hip-hop or never had true ownership over it in the first place. 🤷🏽‍♂️

I use to love Def Jam one of my favorite recored producing companies every.

Translation: they can’t get with today’s time of making cool wack music. There saved you 11 mins.

Actually, every artist that saved Def Jam both past and present. LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Slayer, Public Enemy, Oran "Juice" Jones, Alyson Williams, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, EPMD, Redman, Terminator X as a solo artist from Public Enemy, Lisette Melendez, Sandee, Nice & Smooth, MC Serch as a solo artist from 3rd Bass, Onyx, Erick Sermon as a solo artist from EPMD, Mel-Low, Domino, Warren G, South Central Cartel, Flatlinerz, Capleton, Jayo Felony, Montell Jordan, B.G. Knockout & Dresta, Case, Foxy Brown, Code 3, Richie Rich, Flesh-N-Bone as a solo artist form Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Jay-Z, Def Squad, DMX, Playa, Memphis Bleek, Ja Rule, Sisqó as a solo artist from Dru Hill, Beanie Sigel, Ludacris, Musiq Soulchild, The Murderers, Kelly Price, Christina Milian, Ashanti, Cam'ron, Disturbing Tha Peace, Dru Hill, Scarface from Geto Boys, WC from Low Profile and WC and the Maad Circle, 112, Freeway, Joe Budden, Juelz Santana, Keith Murray, State Property, The Diplomats, Lloyd, Patti LaBelle, Shawnna, Shyne, Young Gunz, Bobby Valentino, Kanye West, Rev. Run as a solo artist from Run-D.M.C., Rihanna, Teairra Mari, Young Jeezy, DJ Clue, Hector "El Father", Lady Sovereign, Ne-Yo, N.O.R.E., Rick Ross, Shareefa, The Isley Brothers, The Roots, Nas, Chingy, Chrisette Michelle, Freeway, Pittsburgh Slim, Playaz Circle, The-Dream, USDA, Ace Hood, Blood Raw, Karina Pasian, Brutha, Sterling Simms, Fast Life Youngsta, Willy Northpole, Unladylike, Jeremih, Fabolous, Triple C, Amerie, Big Boi as a solo artist from OutKast, Curren$y, Ronald Isley as a solo artist The Isley Brothers, Sheek Louch, Big Sean, Big K.R.I.T., Frank Ocean, 2 Chainz, G.O.O.D. Music, Trinidad James, August Alsina, Pusha T, Jhené Aiko, YG, Afrojack, Common, Iggy Azalea, Lacrim, Elijah Blake, Vince Staples, Logic, Teyana Taylor, Big K.R.I.T., Aleeso, Lil Dirk, Tamia, Krept & Konan, Gunplay, Aleesia Cara, Jadakiss, Babyface, HXLT, TWENTY88, Bibi Bourelly, Desiigner, Vince Staples, Troi Irons, Amir Obé, Logic, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Kacy Hill, Dave East, Danileigh, Tee Grimley, Payroll Giovanni, Cardo, Valee, Toni Braxton, 070 Shake, Kids See Ghosts, K. Roosevelt, Bau Young Prince, Fetty Luciano, MihTy, DaniLeigh, TJ Porter, YFL Kelvin, Boston George, Diego, Bernard Jams, Cosha TG, Maxo, Suzi Wu, Hit Boy & SOB X DRE, Sneakk, 10.kCaash, S3nsi Molly & Lil Brook, Nimic Revenge, Prvx, Nasaan, Landstrip Chip, Yung Tory, Goon des Garcons, YK Osiris, Kaash Paige, Fredo Bang, Nimic Revenue, Hit Boy, SOB X RBE, Alessia Cara, Jhené Aiko, Method Man and Ghostface Killah both as solo artists outside of the Wu-Tang Clan empire. The short-lived Def Jam acts like Original Concept, Chuck Stanley, The Afros, Sid & B-Tonn., No Face, BWP, Downtown Science, Resident Alien, Nikki D, The Don, The Fam-Lee, Total Look & the Style, Prime Minister Pete Nice & Daddy Rich formerly of 3rd Bass, Boss, Shug, LaRocko Tee, Y?N-Vee, The Twinz, Suga, The Dove Shack, MoKenStef, CRU, Wiseguys, Da 5 Footaz, Dõs of Soul, Trigger Tha Gambler, DG, D.V. Alias Khrist, Absoulute, and Christión.

Irv Gotti saved Def Jam in the early 2000. With the signing of Dmx and Ja Rule. Including his strings of hit production for Def Jam artist. People like to shit on Irv Gotti. But he made hit records for X, Jay and Rule. Ludacris had a massive impacts as well. Roc-a-fella and Kanye West controlled the music game in the mid 2000s.

Hip hop is no longer hip hop it's a watered down version of pop. Like everything we create the other side destroys it .

Def Jam, like most artists, labels and some businesses, were just a victim of this thing called “TIME”......

Def jam was def jam when Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons was there in control of everything the right way.

Amazing video. Beast!!!

@3:12 "re-quiz-it skill"...someone either writes for you, borrow phrasing, or you love those synonym pages. ('Requisite')

remember when Def Jam released an album for Slayer ?

Def Jam had a great run - the first at so much - they are the Motown of hip hop - it was exactly what was needed at the time. - Now - I noticed that you started your essay from the time of DMX - He came years after the fact - Def Jam starts with LL Cool Jay (1984) but it goes back as far as Kurtis Blow (1981) - Scott La Rock (1984) - DMX didn't come out until the late 90's - when Hip Hop was already dead.

Rick is a legend (even though he was hated for Eminem revival album)

This was quite excellent information.

A lot of artist left after Jay-z became the president.

They shouldn't have stopped making the games They should have thrown into the artists's contracts and made a new game every year like NBA 2K or WWE I know there's obviously more that goes into it but still being involved in video games, especially fighting games, would've been a good way to keep your name in the convo Someone gets signed and Twitter starts buzzing "oh shit can't wait to play as YG in Def Jam" "Oh fuck Vince Staples is gon be top tier" Frank could've had a katana and everything They fucked up.

wow never knew kdot was on def jam.... interesting

Fantastic video.

DEF JAM's last great dynasty was 1998-2001. Think of the artists: METH, RED, X, JA, and JAY. Name all the classic albums that dropped during that era. Can anyone remember some titles?

Def jam will always be my number one label what's not to love about interscope bad boy Atlantic an orthers but Def jam is like my side of town got to love that

Rick rubin looks homeless asf

The artist near the end had me saying who like owl. Does this mean I’m old? Lmao

Any artist that saved Def Jam Recordings in the 80's, 90's, 2000's, 2010's, and now, past and present.

Def Jam has both the money and connections to get an artist poppin, they just need to not micro manage them.

Fab and Jada were both signed to Def Jam at one point. It might have been an awkward rush job on DJ's behalf, but those two made perfect sense.

Social media has allowed talent to be manufactured without record label tutelage or influence. Because of an artist independent platform . Once artist understood that concept and had enough knowledge to workout their own specific needs or interests it was game over for many .major record label " Fat Cats"

WHO never heard of none of them artists

Hip Hop/Music/Life speaks for itself.

Def jam is legendary l still got their jacket to this day

His voice kinda sounds like a Supreme Dreams voiceover

If suge knight wasnt being grimy and easy e rip was alive west cost would have the record deal and if berry gordy was a young blood he will still run Motown records and change the music game peace

I have an production company that’s historical of the making, that’s going to part the game’s Red Sea to release an Phoenix. Not going to tell you the name, but it’s going to contribute music, movies, sports agencies, fashion, political involvement, billboard control, beverages (wine), and more distributed under Universal, WATCH!

Defjam is so iconic

Nice

Def Jam was showing favoritism. They only pushed who they wanted.. Plus artists start leaving

Putting J in charge killed it